, 1887-08-23
THE "DRY HIDE woRM.p
An Insect Destroyer of Boots and Shoes
Professor RiIey's Report.

An Insect Destroyer of Boots and Shoes
Professor RiIey's Report.
In the last report of the commissioner
of agriculture, Professor G.. V. Riley
states that the beetle known to science as
Dermestes vulpinus, and in its larval
state to tanners as the dry hide worm,''
came under his observation in 1884, for
the hrst time, as n destroyer of boots and
shoes. The insect was first noticed in
the establishment of a wholesale manu-
facturer in st. Louis in the spring of
1884, when a lot of boots and shoes
which had been shipped to some South
ern town were returned condemned as
"wormy." This led to an examination
of h stock in store, and the proprietor
found, to his astonishment, that there
was justice in the complaints of his Gus
toner, and that several boxes of heavy
boots and shoes which had been packed
for some time were literally swarming
with the insect in all stages of develop
ment. This was the first time that he
had ever known of the existence of such
a pest.
About the same time the insects were
found in numerous leather houses
throughout the same city, and invaded
the manufactures. In the summer of
1885 public attention was called to the
pest by various oral and exaggerated &C
counts of The GRUB" that worked I'M
seen in the soles of shoes, reducing them
to mere shells, which crushed into frag-
ments when subjected to the pressure of
the foot in wearing.
Another case of the destructive action
IF this same beetle was brought to Pro
fessor Riey's attention at about the same
time by Mr.. F. Eisenstein, of Savannah,
Ga, whose firm had instituted a lawsuit
against the steamship company, by reason
of damages lone by the insect to boots
while in transit from Savannah to Boston.
In the st. Louis cases, none of the deal
ers were able to trace the introduction of
the insect from any particular warehouse
or tannery, but learned from tanners that
it was quite common in old hides.
In the warehouses and manufactures
the insect still retained its partially for
unurcssed feathers, and an examination
at once shows that the soles and heels of
Boot and shoes are more liable to injury
than the uppers. 1t seems probable that
the comparative immunity of the uppers is
due to the oily dressing used in the fin
ishing processes. They do not, however,
entirely escape, for they are occasionally
found bored by the larva or roughened
or eroded by the beetle.
The work of the larvae, both young and
full grown, consists in booring smooth,
round channels in every direction through
the leather, preferring, as above stated,
the soles and heels. A f~avorite place for
entering the shoe is in the angle between
the sole and heel. or in the crevice be-
tween the upper and the sole, a crack of
some kind seeming to be necessary to
enable them to get sufficient purchase to
begin boring.
the principal occupation of the adult
beetle is the propagation of the species,
yet it also is a leather destroyer, gnawing
and scoring the surface of the boot or
shoe, but not burrowing bodily into its
substance.
Professor Riley states that when the
insect has already made an entrance into
c;lscs of boots and shoes, it viii not be a
difficult matter to destroy it by q proper
usa of bisulphide of carbon. OF course,
it would be preferable to overhaul the
contents of each box thoroughly, and to
treat the boots in which the insect is
found with benzine or some other effica-
CioIrs insecticide; but, where this cannot
be done without too great expense, it will
probably suffice to open each case and
pace an open nduScl vi tlle Oh
top Of the contents. The liquid will
volatilize, and the vapor will sink down
through the mass, if the box be tight,
and will kill the insects in their burrows.
AS the natural home of the insect is in
hides. it dcvolvcs upon transportation
companies that carry both made up leather
goods and hides to exercise some degree
Of care and cleanliness, rs they are other
wise liable to lay themselves open to
damages payable to the owners of the
more expensive goods.-Scientific Ameri-
can.